Paddling GlovesTom Watson reviews some general optionsfor protecting hands while out paddling:Simple neoprene, poggies, scuba gloves, etcQuick Tips for Canoe Camping TripsKevin Callan passes along some simple tricks he as learned over the years aboutcamping and paddling.. with videos too!

Reviews for Phoenix 130 Kayak by Hurricane Kayaks

Phoenix 130 is a good, light and well built kayak. I have a rudder w/ foot controls that I find difficult to use. The tracking is tough with a rudder on all kayaks and will only get better with lots of practice. Overall a sound investment.

I bought this boat used, having owned a Phoenix 140 and liked it. This boat is stable (especially secondary stability), is agile yet tracks well enough, is fast for its size. Also much lighter than a polyethelene equivalent. All quite good. BUT once I bought it I found the cockpit wouldn't drain (this boat, like all recent Phoenix SOT's, uses a single scupper in the bottom connected inside the hull to all cockpit drains). After some head scratching I finally found that the rudder cable had been routed UNDER the hose, creating a loop in the hose that was above water level. Don't know if the rudder was factory installed or dealer, but it was a royal screwup, and should not have happened. I had to cut the drain hose end connections and reroute it UNDER the rudder cable to get the boat to drain properly. All is okay now. I like the boat a lot, but that kind of quality lapse really irks me. Even if the rudder was dealer installed, the excess drain hose looping around under the cockpit floor made the error easy to occur.

Boat does not track straight and does not handle well in wind. Manufacturer returned the "fixed" leaking boat damaged to my dealer. Hull had large black abrasions and scrapes around the scupper hole. There was a large chip in the hull and the deck was also scraped. My good dealer returned the boat and the new replacement came back with a cracked hull near the drain plug. I will update when the 3rd boat comes in...

MANUFACTURER'S RESPONSEHurricane has worked closely and professionally with this customer's dealer to address any and all issues with the Phoenix 130. We have done everything possible to make this customer happy and meet their expectations. The dealer is very pleased with the support, prompt attention and assistance that Hurricane has provided in servicing this customer. Unfortunately, things have happened in the effort to provide good service.
We are proud of the quality products produced at Hurricane, and we are committed to providing a high and professional level of customer service to our dealers and customers.

Overall it is a very nice hull, light, fast, and stable. The downside is the placement of the foot braces. Short... very short. I built some extensions that fit to the nut inserts in the cockpit and was off and paddling.

Have not owned this kayak very long. But can say the following: Has good stability, tracks well, has good glide and is easy to paddle. Speed is satisfactory for a SOT of this size. This is my third Hurricane ...they make a good product.

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